Pokémon Platinum - The Case of James Morgan
by JeremyX
Summary: After their adventure in Sinnoh, Jeremy and Aelita go to Kanto to help James to reclaim his manor. But when they arrive, James is arrested by his own parents! Can our heroes, even Ash, prove that he's a good guy? And when a certain Kanto Gym Leader gets involved, the end will shock you all! I'm not finished with TAF, but this is the next part in the story! Please read and review!
1. Prologue

**A/N: After I finally got caught up with my homework (and got a little ahead), I decided to write the one entry in my Pokémon story series that I've been wanting to write for six years!**

**By the way, this takes place after my Diamond & Pearl redux series is over, and everyone has gone home. Jeremy's friends know about Pokémon, and Aelita has been traveling with them since the Wallace Cup (which would be before the Pokémon Ranger/Riolu arc). Aelita also has Pokémon that she rescued from Pokémon Hunter J (will be explained in my main story later).**

**Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this as I study harder and get through school as quick as I can so that I can finish this as quick as I can!**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK  
**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**I own nothing! Please support the official release! **

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Pokémon Platinum: The Case of James Morgan

Prologue – A Letter Back Home

The sun was shining high over the tall trees that littered the park in the center of the Sceaux district of Paris. Most people were taking a leisurely walk, while many children chased each other in the vast green grassy recreational area. However, there was one house that had more commotion than any other house in the entire suburb. That home belonged to Michael Belpois, a retired school athletic instructor, and part-time government spy, his wife Louise, and their two children, one of which was far away on an amazing adventure.

As the boy's mother stared out the window, wondering what her eldest son was doing, she caught sight of his friends hanging out in the park, along with the boy's younger brother, Frankie Belpois. There was the calm and collected Ulrich Stern, along with his girlfriend and the boy's group leader Yumi Ishiyama, who was the oldest member of the group. There was also the svelte daredevil Odd Della Robia, the tall and lanky wanderer William Dunbar, who was just as old as Yumi but a bit less mature, and his girlfriend and their school principal's daughter Sissi Delmas.

She sighed sadly, and then heard a beeping noise come from her laptop computer. Turning away from the window, she sat down and opened it up. The first thing she noticed, which made her gasp in shock, was the fact that is was sent to her by none other than…

"Jeremy!" she gasped in joy. Her husband noticed her reaction as he came in the room, and he looked elated as well. He then dashed to the door and called out to his son's friends. "Hey kids! Jeremy just sent us an e-mail!"

"Really?" Odd gasped.

"Big brother wrote us a letter!" Frankie cheered.

"Man, he hasn't sent us anything in a while!" Ulrich said.

"Well, what are we standing out here for?" Yumi asked, and they all filed inside.

"So what does it say?" Ulrich asked.

Michael picked the laptop up, cleared his throat, and began to read the e-mail:

"_21 August 2007, 10:30 AM Sinnoh Standard Time_

_Dear Dad and all of my friends,_

_Everything I have done with my new friends on my journeys in the Sinnoh region has been just great. Team Galactic is no more, thanks to Ash and his friends, along with the legendary lake trio of Azelf, Mespirit, and Uxie. James, Aelita, and I helped, since we also shared a link with them, but I could tell that their link was for greater because of the love they had for Pokémon. Speaking of Ash, he got all of his Gym Badges and Dawn got all of her Contest Ribbons, and both of them entered their respective major competitions. Dawn got entrance in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, and Ash was able to enter the Lily of the Valley Conference. It took a lot of time and work, but everyone managed to achieve their goal with the help of their Pokémon partners. Speaking of Pokémon partners, James reacquired his old Pokémon, Growlie, upon a visit to one of his old 'summer houses'. I was sure surprised when Aelita showed up before the Wallace Cup. I do hope that none of you had anything to do with it, especially you, Odd."_

"Oh brother," Odd sighed. "He should know that she can make her own decisions, plus she can't stay away from him for too long without going nuts."

"_In any way,"_ Michael continued,_ "it was a very nice surprise, and she has taken an immediate liking to Ash, his friends, and their Pokémon. I may have mentioned this, but she came in with May, one of Ash's old travelling companions from the Hoenn region. She's a nice girl, and very passionate about food. If you're reading this, Odd, yes she knows about you, but no she's not interested."_

"Aw!" Odd whined, pouting. "And she sounded so cute, too."

"Shut up, Odd," Yumi said. "Let Mr. Belpois finish reading Jeremy's message."

"_Aelita has been very helpful in our journeys," _Michael went on._ "I told you that as soon as the Wallace Cup was over, we ran into Pokémon Hunter J again. What I did not mention is that she was assigned by the high-ups in Team Rocket to capture James and his Pokémon, since they clearly don't accept resignations."_

"Wow," Ulrich said. "That group sure sounds pretty rough."

"_Fortunately, I was able to rescue him before he was handed over to Team Rocket, but I noticed that the Team Rocket agent doing the 'transaction' was none other than Frank James. Since then, we've not run into any Team Rocket agent, not even Jessie or Meowth. Dawn made it to the finals of the Grand Festival, but was defeated by her friend and rival, Zoey."_

"Oh man," William sighed. "It sounded like she was a shoe-in for sure."

"Poor girl," Sissi added. "But what about that Ash kid?"

"_As for Ash," _Michael replied, still reading, _"he made it to the semi-finals of the Lily of the Valley Conference, but was defeated by a trainer named Tobias, who used a very rare and very powerful Pokémon named Darkrai. His Pikachu defeated it, but it was defeated by another legendary, rare, and powerful Pokémon named Latios."_

"Man, even Ash lost his bout?" Frankie gasped.

"How does anyone come across Pokémon that have only existed in legends?" Yumi asked.

"What about Paul?" Sissi asked. "Tell me that he at least beat that big fat jerk!"

"_This battle was after Ash had defeated Paul in a Full Batlle, with Ash's Infernape defeating Paul's Electivire," _Michael replied. _"None of us could feel more elated than we were, and I could tell that Ash was happier than I'd ever seen him look, and James agreed. What was even greater was that Ash had finally earned Paul's respect as a Trainer, and Paul vowed to battle Ash again, once he developed a new strategy."_

"Well, there's some good news," Ulrich said. "It's about time Ash put that punk in his place."

"And it sounds like he's finally going the right way," Yumi added.

"_After we headed back to Twinleaf Town," _Michael read on, _"we were attacked on our ship by a band of Tentacool and Tentacruel who were after something that Team Rocket stole from them. Frank James thought that it was a gold nugget, but James discovered it to be a 'rare' bottle cap. Surprisingly, he gave the cap back to the Jellyfish Pokémon, preferring the safety of the other Pokémon over his personal desires."_

"Wow, that was pretty bold," Odd said, "given how much he loves those things."

"_Although the Tentacruel problem was solved," _Michael continued,_ "another Pokémon problem presented itself. The Pokémon were poisoned, and we could not enough Pecha Berries to go around. There was a Pichu that was badly poisoned, and nothing that we did could alleviate its condition. We went in seacrh of Pecha Berries, and we discovered that Team Rocket had eaten all of the ship's supply of berries except for one. Borck was furious, but they were completely unfazed. They even had the gall to ask for Ash's Pikachu for the last berry, but Brock's Happiny sent them flying away."_

"Man, they're really annoying bad people!" Frankie growled.

"And rather cruel to boot," Sissi added. "Especially that Frank James guy."

"_Even with the enormous obstacle facing him," _Michael continued, _"Brock managed to keep calm, although he was at a loss as to what to do about Pichu. Ash and James commented that they had never seen him look so helpless and unsure of what to do."_

"Oh man," William gasped, "that sure sounded tough for the poor guy."

"_But thankfully," Michael read, "Ash, Dawn, James, and Happiny were able to get his spirits up. Speaking of Happiny, it evolved into Chansey after sensing Brock's doubt, and learned its signature move, Softboiled, which completely healed Pichu's energy and cured its poison. Nurse Joy later arrived with the Pecha Berries that the other Pokémon needed. Impressed by his bravery and wit, Nurse Joy recommended that Brock should become a Pokémon Doctor, and we all thought it was a good idea. Brock especially thought that it was a good idea, since he'd be working with Nurse Joy, and thus end his Jenny-Joy love cycle once and for all."_

"I'll bet his Croagunk ruined that moment for him," Odd chuckled.

"It did, as a matter of fact," Michael said, showing a picture of Brock being dragged by his Croagunk out of a room by his legs. At the sight of it, everyone laughed amusedly.

"So what else does it say?" Ulrich asked.

"Well," Louise Belpois replied, taking the computer, "it says that Ash and the others each went their separate ways the day after the ferry landed in Twinleaf Town. Dawn's Piplup was upset, but Dawn reassured it that everything would be okay. Ash and Brock went back to Kanto, with Brock heading to Pewter City to start training to become a Pokémon Doctor, while Ash headed back to Pallet Town and his mother."

"What about Jeremy, Aelita, and James?" Yumi asked.

(-o-)

"Do you really mean it?" James asked with tears in his eyes. "You want me to come with you to Paris?"

Jeremy, Aelita, and James were sitting in the back porch of Ash's house early in the morning while we waited for Ash and the others to wake up. Our Pokémon were leisurely taking a nap in the grassy field of Ash's backyard, but Judah, James' Carnivine, and Aelita's new Pokémon friends, Flaffy and Pichu, stood with us as we talked with James.

"James, we discussed this yesterday," Aelita said. "I'm sure that my parents would be more than happy to let you stay at the Hermitage. We have plenty of empty rooms after two of those three kids left to go back to their real homes."

"Oh yes," James nodded, "Maria Robotnik and Noah Kaiba, right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Jeremy replied. "Since they've gone back to where they belong, there's plenty of room for you there."

"But wouldn't you be giving aid to a known criminal?" he asked. "Isn't that against the law?"

"You're not a criminal anymore," Jeremy said. "And for your info, we've given aid to a criminal once before."

"Really!?" James gasped, shocked.

"It's a long story," Aelita said. "It involved XANA and me almost dying, so we kinda had no choice."

"Oh, I see," James rubbed his chin, knowing about the evil virus that they destroyed over a year ago. "So, it's really okay if I stay with you?"

"Sheesh, how many time do we gotta say it?" Aelita laughed. "Yes, you can stay with us."

"Thanks for that," James said, but then his face hardened. "But I don't want to stay for very long."

"How come?" Jeremy, Aelita, and Judah asked together.

"Because I want to take my own home back," he said, with determination in his eyes. "I've made up my mind to sever my ties with my parents, but I want back what's mine, and that includes my possessions and my precious Pokémon!"

"But you've got Growlie here!" Jeremy pointed out.

"Isn't that enough?" Aelita asked.

"Don't get me wrong," James said, "I love having Growlie with me again, but I can't run away from my problems any more. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to go back home and reclaim what is mine. Besides, there were more Pokémon there than just Growlie. There's my Numel quartet, the water Pokémon in the pond, and my poor Chimecho too!"

"Wait, I thought Chimecho was in a summer house," Judah said.

"She is," James said, "but since my parents own the house, by extension, they can say that they own Chimecho too!"

"But what about your Nanny and Pop-Pop?" Jeremy asked. "Don't they own the house?"

"Well, yes and no," James said. "I think that the land is in their names, but my parents are still listed as the legal owners of the property itself."

"Man, I hate legal disputes," Aelita said, "especially legal disputes that involve family."

"Well, don't worry about your Pokémon or your Nanny and Pop-Pop's home, James," Jeremy said. "We'll make sure that you get them all back."

"Really?" James said, eyes wide.

"James," Jeremy grinned, "you have my word. Your parents won't know what hit them."

(-o-)

In the dimly lit office, a finely dressed man sat in a very lavish high-backed chair, waiting for a phone call. Suddenly, the phone rang, and the man picked it up.

"Yes?" he answered in a thick Southern American accent. After a long pause of listening to the voice on the other line, he jumped to his feet in shock.

"What do you mean it's gone?" the man asked. "Did he show up and take it?"

He listened for more, and the more he heard, the more angry he got.

"So she managed to show up in all of her glory," he hissed, "and he still rejected her? Why can't he see that she's the person who will make us – I mean, him – the richest man alive? Now that he's got mangy mutt back, he'll never show his face around any of us ever again! It's not even his licensed Pokémon! It's exactly like he… like he stole it!"

Just then, he stopped himself. At first, he made no motion. But then a small smile formed on his face. That smile soon turned into a grin, and the grin brought forth a chuckle, and that chuckle became a hearty laugh, with a mild hint of manic in it.

"That's it!" he said. "That's how we'll win this pointless struggle!" He then took a very fancy pen from his large and expensive designer mahogany desk, and started taking down notes on a large pad of paper.

"Sure, he has one of 'his' Pokémon," the man said on the phone, "but he has more of those filthy creatures that my father 'gave' to him. He's bound to come for them, and when he does… we'll have him for good!" As he took down more details, he spoke much more quietly.

"I'll tell you the details once I write them up," he whispered, "just make sure that all of the Pokémon are at this house within the day. Also, make sure that 'nanny and pop-pop' don't leave their house while you take all of their Pokémon and put them here. Make sure that no one except us knows that I sent you. Get the tech team hired to ensure that this line is not tapped, and no one can trace it. Don't forget who's paying you for this, so don't fail me. Now, go and fulfill your duty to the Morgan name!"

As the man hung up, he looked at his blueprints and sat back down in his chair. He turned to look out the window of his titanic estate, and he smiled contentedly.

"It's taken a long time," he said, "but it's about to finally happen. You can't run from your destiny, James Morgan…

…my son."

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**A/N: LE GASP! THE PLOT IS ESTABLISHED IN THE PROLOGUE!**

**Just so you know, this is going to be like if Law & Order met Phoenix Wright, but with more of the latter since my sister and I love this game series. In fact, it's inspired me to write this story in this way.**

**So, please be patient for me to update this, and I will deliver one of the best-written James-support stories on this website!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	2. Chapter 1: Home Is Where the Heart Isn't

**A/N: AT LAST! CHAPTER 1! Here the plot REALLY gets thick!**

**WARNING: The following chapter involves really bad things happening to the Team Rocket trio. Like 'losing their freedom forever' kinda bad. If you're sensitive to your favorite trio that's "best at being the worst", then please read with care. It WILL get better, but not for a long time. I DO have school, after all.**

**By the way, this chapter amounts to a grand total of... 7000 WORDS! That should (hopefully) satisfy you for a while while I study hard!**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK  
**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**I make no money from this because I don't own any of these series. Otherwise, James would be the main character of Pokémon. SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE!**

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Pokémon Platinum: The Case of James Morgan

Chapter 1: Home is Where the Heart Is Not

As the sun peeked over the hills of the Kanto region, shining its early morning light on the small but pristine Pallet Town, the people and Pokémon that resided in the sleepy little town began to awake and begin their morning rituals. One house, in particular, is where our story begins. This house in question is home to a 14-year-old Pokémon Trainer named Ash Ketchum, along with his trusty companion Pikachu, his ever-loving mother, Delia Ketchum, and her helpful Pokémon housekeeper, Mimey the Mr. Mime.

It also housed a few of Ash's closest Pokémon, such as his Swellow, Bayleef, and a few others, which were mostly Flying-Type and Grass-Type Pokémon, except for Ash's Quilava and Buizel. The rest of Ash's Pokémon were wither at Professor Oak's Pokémon laboratory, or in other places, such as Ash's Charizard was in a place in the Johto region called Charicific Valley. The majority of Ash's Pokémon that were at his home slept outside, with the notable exception of Pikachu, who was nestled close to its loving Trainer and close friend.

For a day and a half, this house also held some new visitors as well as the regulars: 15-year-old rookie Pokémon Trainer Jeremy Belpois, his girlfriend and fellow rookie Pokémon Trainer, 15-year-old Aelita Schaeffer, and their castaway friend, 25-year-old Pokémon Trainer and ex-Team Rocket operative, James Morgan. Most of their Pokémon were tucked away inside of their Poké Balls, except for Jeremy's faithful Riolu, Judah, James' Mime Jr., and Aelita's new friend Pichu. The Pokémon were all sleeping soundly, wrapped in the protective arms of their Trainers.

Most of the humans and Pokémon that it housed were fast asleep, with the exception of Delia, who awoke early and began to make breakfast for the whole gang. But as the sunlight shone through the semi-draped windows, Jeremy and Judah began to stir. Their eyes sleepily opened, blinking at the sunlight that now shone in their faces. After a minute or two, they yawned, scratching their heads, and slowly but surely got out of their guest bed, which Delia had prepared for them in the guest bedroom.

"Morning, Judah," Jeremy said, stretching.

"Good morning to you too, Jeremy," Judah replied, yawning and stretching as well. He then took a sniff and smiled. "Whatever Mrs. Ketchum is cooking right now, it sure smells good."

"Which means that those two should be waking up any second now," Jeremy said, and looked at the second bed in the guest room.

James was sprawled out on the second guest bed like he had just collapsed there after a long day at work without bothering to take his clothes off. In fact, apart from the fact that he was wearing pajamas and that he was not employed, that was almost exactly what had happened to him. But suddenly, his nose began twitching and he began to stir as well.

"I'll go and see if I can help out," Jeremy said, going to the door. "You make sure that our friend here doesn't get himself into any trouble."

"Mmm, make it double, prepare to fight…" James mumbled, slowly but surely rising from his heavy slumber.

"Oh boy," Jeremy said, and slapped his face with his hand. "I said the secret word, didn't I? Well, I'll be heading to the kitchen now. Don't wait up, you two."

With that, Jeremy made his way to the kitchen, where Delia was making breakfast, with some extra help from Mimey. The delicious smell of frying bacon, eggs, sausages, and boiling rice was more than enough to make the teenager feel ravenously hungry. As Jeremy's stomach suddenly growled involuntarily, Delia noticed him and smiled.

"Good morning," she said, very warmly. "I hope the noise didn't wake you up."

"I didn't hear any noise," Jeremy said. "I'm normally a very early riser, and Judah woke up once he smelled your cooking. He sends his compliments, by the way."

"Well, I'll thank him myself," she said, smiling.

"Is there anything that I can do to help you?" he asked.

"Don't be silly," she said. "I haven't cooked for my son or for this many people in so long, my long-dormant skills are just waiting to come back online."

"Well, be warned," I said, "our tall, lanky friend is quite the big eater. He's almost like a human Snorlax, much like a close friend I know from back home."

"Paris sounds very nice," she said.

"It really is," I said, thinking of home. "My family has a nice house in a nice part of town, my school is also very nice, and my friends are just some of the nicest people you'll ever meet."

Just then, we could hear noises from the adjoining rooms, and Ash sleepily stumbled into the room, followed by his Pikachu, Judah, Aelita, her Pichu, and James was bringing up the rear.

"Good morning, boys," Delia said. "Hope you're hungry."

"You bet!" Ash said happily, taking his seat at the table. However, his mother gave him a stern look.

"Remember your manners, Ash Ketchum," she said, frowning. "Let the guests have their share first, then Pikachu, and then you."

"Aw, mom," Ash whined. "Why does Pikachu get better treatment than me?"

"Because he can apparently learn and retain manners than you," Delia said. "And if he wore it, he'd remember to change his underwear."

"Mom!" Ash groaned, and the rest of us could not help but laugh.

As we enjoyed our humorous moment at Ash's expense, Delia and Mimey served us all and, once we thanked her for the meal, we all dug in.

"This is delicious!" Judah said, smiling widely.

"Man, you have a very good cook for a mother, Ash," James said. "You should be very proud."

"Thanks," Ash said. "I sure am!"

Just then, I heard a fork hit a plate hard. I then saw that James had stopped eating and a serious expression overtook his face. Soon, even Ash and the others noticed.

"What's the matter?" Delia asked.

"Sorry," he said, picking up his fork again. "It's just that I've never had an experience like this in all of my life. My mother never cooked anything for me, and the people that did never paid me any attention, apart from telling me how to 'properly' eat it."

"What do you mean by that?" Delia asked.

"James comes from a very rich family," Ash explained. "They forced him to do a lot of things when he a very young child because he was supposed to be a 'high-class society member' or something stupid like that."

"They even forced him to marry a girl who would cause him unending torment," Jeremy said, his expression darkening. "And they did all of this just because they wanted me to make more money that they could have all for themselves."

"Oh my goodness," Delia gasped. "That's terrible for you to have to go through all of that grief, especially when you were so young."

"Well," James said, "if I didn't, I never would have met Jessie, Meowth, Ash, Jeremy, or anyone I've met."

"That's true," Jeremy said. "Something good can always come from something bad."

"Well," James said, "I plan to do something with the good I've got now and get my house and Pokémon back!"

"Get your house and Pokémon back?" Delia queried.

"We're going with him to his house and demand that his parents turn over his Pokémon and his share of their fortune," Jeremy replied. "I've looked into the marriage contract that was proposed to James all those years ago. While it may have been okay in the 1400s, this goes against the current law. If James voices his dissent…"

"Which I have done for the past 15 years," James cut in.

"…then he can officially dissolve the marriage," Jeremy finished. "However, according to what James said about their will, James cannot obtain the estate or his fortune unless he is married to Jessiebelle…"

"Which I would never do if my life depended on it," James added.

"…but if I can convict his parents for child neglect and abuse," Jeremy continued, "then they will have to forfeit everything that they own to James, or spend about thirty years in jail."

"And we also have to find out about James' twin sister," Judah added.

"Twin sister?" Delia asked.

"James saw a vision a while back in Sinnoh, in which he had a twin sister when he was born," Aelita explained. "Apparently, his dad separated her from him shortly after birth."

"We can press him for unnecessary child abandonment charges if it comes to that," Jeremy said, "but we have to find out who she is and prove that James' dad abandoned her."

"Well, that sounds like a good plan," Delia said, "although I'm not quite sure that I follow."

"We'll tell you all the details once we've done what we need to do," Judah said. "Now James, where is your estate?"

"Ash should know it," James replied. "It's in between Celadon City and Saffron City."

"Celadon City and Saffron City?" Ash said, smiling. "Boy, does that take me back!"

"What do you mean by that?" Jeremy asked.

"Isn't that where you got two of your Kanto Gym Badges, Ash?" Aelita asked.

"That's right," Ash nodded. "But I only won one in a battle, and that was against Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City."

"She's the Psychic-Type master, right?" James asked.

"Yeah," Ash said, and then he rubbed his chin. "You know, I don't remember seeing you or your friends anywhere near the Gym."

"That's because we weren't," James said. "In fact, we didn't even know there was a Gym there when we first got there. We had our minds on other things."

"Yeah, like stealing Pikachu," Ash said, rather cockily.

"Oh, come on!" James whined. "You're never going to leave me alone are you?"

"It's not that easy to forget, James," Aelita said. "But Ash, what were those Gyms like?"

"Well…" Ash said, but then Jeremy's watch began to beep.

"Oh boy," Jeremy said, and then began to rapidly finish his breakfast. "That's our cue, Mrs. Ketchum. Our bus to Saffron City leaves in about ten minutes, so we'd better get out of here pretty quick, or else we won't get another bus until after lunch."

"Well, don't let me keep you from missing the bus," Delia said, and then took Ash and James' plates, since they were already finished.

Aelita, Judah, and I finished eating quickly, but with manners. We each cleaned up, thanked Mrs. Ketchum for the good meal, got our stuff together, and were ready to head out the door.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Ketchum," Judah said, bowing politely.

It's no trouble at all," she smiled.

With that, we all ran outside and headed to the bus station on the other side of Pallet Town.

"Wish us luck, mom!" Ash called over his shoulder as we all dashed out the door.

"Stay safe, honey!" Delia called, and then turned back inside.

(-o-)

As the bus sped the travellers off to the economical center of the Kanto region, Jeremy and Aelita could not help but be amazed at seeing the landscape go right by them. They had ridden in buses many times back home, but seeing the world of Pokémon go by so swiftly was truly an exhilarating experience. As the drove by, Ash and James pointed out some things that they both remembered from their journeys. James, who had never heard Ash's side of his stories, was quite captivated by what he said, as were the two French travellers.

They pointed out Viridian City, where Ash had his first encounter with Team Rocket, and James chuckled at the memory. They drove by Pewter City, and Ash recalled his first ever Gym Battle with Brock and how they became friends afterwards. Since Brock was studying to become a Pokémon Doctor, Jeremy and Aelita assumed that the Pewter City Gym was being run by either his father or by his younger brother, Forrest. Then they hit Cerulean City, and Ash told Jeremy and Aelita that Misty was the Gym Leader there while her sisters, who were apparently very airheaded, left the Gym to her while they went on a worldwide party cruise.

"And once we all got back from Johto," Ash said, "we were sure surprised when the Nurse Joy from Viridian City showed up with Misty's bike."

"As in the one that Pikachu toasted?" Jeremy asked amusedly.

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "I kinda upset Misty when I said that she could get back home faster since her bike was fixed."

"Why would that be a bad thing?" James asked.

"Well," Ash replied, "after all that we did together, she didn't want it all to end so quickly." His normally bright smile faded for a while, but then he perked right back up again. "But we learned that even though we separated for now, we would meet again soon. And even if we didn't we'd still remember each other."

"We may never see each other again," Jeremy said, "but we'll never forget each other."

"What was that?" James asked.

"Something I remember a while ago," he replied. "I do see where you're coming from, Ash."

"That all sounds like quite the adventure," Aelita said.

"Man, would I love to have an adventure like that," Jeremy said. "Not that our adventures together in Sinnoh weren't anything special, but what you did all those years ago sounds nothing short of remarkable."

"Well, maybe when you look at it like that," Ash grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I was a whole lot less experienced back then as opposed to now. But I had my friends and my Pokémon to back me up, and I know that no matter what happens, I always will have them."

"That's what I like about you, Ash," Jeremy said. "You're a very positive thinker."

James looked out the window, and pointed outside. "Well, while you're all thinking, look out there and see where we are!"

They all looked outside the window, and noticed that the bus was approaching a large urban metropolis, with a lot of tall buildings dotting the area. However, one skyscraper stood above them all, and it had a large and long antenna on its roof. In addition to the buildings and houses, there were lots of trees all around the city. There was also a clam-shaped dome-like building in the center of town, which had an ominous sensation and yet it felt like one just had to be there.

"That's Saffron City!" Ash cheered. "We're here at last! Man, that was a fast bus ride!"

"Hey, Ash?" Jeremy asked, pointing to the mysterious building. "What's that weird clam-shaped building over there in the center of the city?"

"Clam-shaped?" Ash raised an eyebrow, and then looked. "Oh, that's the Saffron City Gym."

"That's a Pokémon Gym?" Aelita asked, surprised.

"Pokémon Gyms do come in all shapes and sizes," James said.

"Clearly," Jeremy nodded.

"Attention passengers," the bus driver called over the intercom, "we will be arriving in the Saffron City Transit Station in just a few moments. Please gather your personal belongings and remember to keep all large and dangerous Pokémon inside of their Poké Balls until you step off the bus. Also, please remain seated and keep your seatbelt fastened until the bus has come to a complete stop. Thank you for choosing the Poké Transporter network of commercial transport for all your daily travel needs."

After about seven more minutes of travel, the bus entered the walls of Saffron City and reached its stop at the station. The doors opened, and the travelers filed out in an orderly fashion, while Ash, James, Jeremy, and Aelita were the last to leave since they were in the back of the bus. Once they got off, they took a moment to take in the dazzling city they had just entered.

"It sure is a big place," Aelita said.

"Paris is definitely bigger, though," Jeremy noted, and then brought out his town map. "According to the map, this is the largest city in the entire Kanto region, both in population and in area. Populated by roughly a quarter-million people, it's area is just under six hundred square kilometers when you combine the city, the land, and sea."

"That is still pretty big," Aelita said.

As they passed by the Gym on their way to James' house, they saw a kid run out of the Gym, along with a Raticate, both hopping for joy.

"All right!" he cheered. "I got a Marsh Badge! You were awesome, Raticate! You're gonna get a big nice meal for your performance!"

The Raticate chattered happily, and we walked up to the Gym to see what all the commotion was about. As soon as we did, we noticed another person exit the Gym. It was a tall man with a dark blue beard, and was wearing a green jogging jacket with gray sweatpants and a tan mesh cap. As his blue eyes focused on us, his firm expression soon grew much lighter.

"Hey, kid!" he called to us. "You're Ash Ketchum, right?"

Ash turned to the man and laughed. "Hey, you're Sabrina's dad! Good to see you again!"

"Good to see that you've finally realized who I am after all these years," he said, rather irritably.

"Hey, I was just a kid!" Ash defended. "I was young and stupid back then!"

"And now you aren't?" the man teased.

"Uh, I'm a bit lost here," Jeremy said. "May I ask who you are?"

"Jeremy, this is Sabrina's father," Ash said. "Sir, these are my friends, James, Jeremy, and Aelita."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Aelita said, bowing politely.

"Hmm," he said, rubbing his chin. "I don't recall that these youngsters were with you when you challenged Sabrina."

"They weren't," Ash nodded. "They're new friends that I made while traveling the Sinnoh region way up north from here."

"The Sinnoh region?" he said with surprise. "That's quite a long way!"

"So, I assume that since that kid got a Marsh Badge, he beat Sabrina?" Jeremy asked.

"No, he beat me," the man shook his head. "Sabrina's at a Gym Leader's conference in Viridian City to discuss who will lead the Gym."

"Viridian City doesn't have a Gym Leader?" Jeremy asked.

"Well, they did," the man said, "but he disappeared four years ago, and Agatha of the Elite Four is running the Gym, but only on a technicality. The Gym still needs a permanent Gym Leader. The League considered a boy named Gary, but he refused, becoming a Pokémon Professor instead."

"Gary!?" Ash gasped. "As in Gary Oak?"

"Why yes," he nodded. "You know of him?"

"Know him!?" Ash cried. "He's one of my best friends and one of my fiercest rivals!"

"We've met him too," Aelita noted. "He's strong and smart, and has a mild skill with Pokémon poetry, like his grandfather, Professor Samuel Oak."

"Well, it's nice to meet some new faces around these parts," he said, smiling. "I'm Sabrina's father, Haroldam Gallerstein. My wife, Joana, is resting back home, but I'm sure she'd be pleasured to meet all of you nice kids."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Gallerstein," Jeremy said. "I'm Jeremy Belpois, and this is my girlfriend Aelita Schaeffer." Aelita blushed at this remark. "She and I are travelling together with Ash and James over here." Just then, Jeremy felt a tug on his arm, and when he looked and saw Judah clear his throat, he slapped himself. "Oh yes, sorry about that, buddy. This Riolu is my partner, Judah."

"Thank you, Jeremy," he said. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Well, well!" Haroldam whistled. "I never heard of a Pokémon that could physically speak human! Normally, Pokémon in legends that could speak human are all telepaths."

"Well, we're trying to get to James' house," Jeremy explained. "It's about a kilometer or so away from here, and we're trying to get there before it's too late."

"Too late for what?" he asked.

"James left some Pokémon behind at his home when he ran away from it thirteen years ago," Jeremy replied. "We think that his parents may be mistreating them, or may plan on getting rid of them."

"Why would you think that?" Haroldam asked.

"Well, given the fact that they love money over their own flesh and blood," Jeremy replied, "I'd stake a guess that they don't give a great value to Pokémon either."

"That sounds terrible!" he growled, bemused by the thought of such cruel people. "Well, I'm wishing you kids the best of luck! I'll tell Sabrina you stopped by once she gets home."

"Thanks, Mr. Gallerstein!" Ash called over his shoulder as we left. "Say hi to Haunter too, okay?"

"It's not Haunter anymore!" he called back. "It's a Gengar now!"

"That's awesome!" Ash cried. "See you soon! Take care now!"

As we left the Gym and left the city, James asked Ash what the deal with this Haunter was.

"I had to go to Lavender Town to find a Ghost-Type Pokémon to beat Sabrina," Ash explained. "That's where I met Haunter, who agreed to help. He didn't fight as I expected, but actually made Sabrina laugh, which made her Kadabra laugh since it was linked to her. I won the badge and saved Brock and Misty, who were trapped by Sabrina."

"Trapped?" Jeremy asked.

"I'll explain later," Ash said. "Apparently, it evolved into Gengar while I was away."

"That does sound pretty cool," Jeremy said.

As they marched through the forest, they noticed a distinct lack of wild Pokémon in the area. To the two Kanto natives, and even to the two Parisian tourists, this was rather unsettling. Normally, there would be a pack of Rattata running around or a flock of Pidgey flying in the sky. But no Pokémon cries could be heard at all, only the rustling of the leaves in the wind and the sounds their feet made while treading the dirt road between Celadon City and Saffron City. It was all very quiet on Kanto Route 7.

In fact, it was almost _too_ quiet.

Once they got into a clearing, they came across a fork in the road.

"I'll see what lies ahead," Judah said.

He then closed his eyes and then used his special powers to sense the aura in the surrounding area by raising his paw. After about a minute, he reopened his eyes and lowered his paw.

"I don't sense any Pokémon for a while," he said, "but I do sense a sign over in the distance. I don't know if it's a route sign or not, but whatever it is, it's not natural."

"Then I say we check it out!" Ash said, and ran off to the distance with us running in tow.

When we got to the sign in question, we noticed that it was a missing person sign, with a picture of a young boy, no more than eight years old ,with very fancy clothing but a very similar face.

"James," Jeremy asked, "is that you on this poster?"

James looked scared for a moment, but then nodded. "Yes, it's me."

"Hey, I've seen that poster!" Ash said. "It was back form when I traveled with Brock and Misty. We passed by this route and saw this sign, and that's how we knew about James' past."

"Do you know where the mansion is from here?" Jeremy asked.

"I do," James said, rather reluctantly. "Follow me."

With that, he let Growlie out of its Poké Ball, and led the six of us (counting Pikachu and Judah) down the seaside route to the Morgan estate. They passed by sparkling clear rivers and tall and majestic trees. But the more beautiful the landscape got, the more nervous all of the travelers got, especially James. After about thirteen minutes of walking, during which they all rested every other minute or so, they reached a tall gate protecting an immense amount of land. Looking inside, they could various gardens, ponds, and even a small lake. But the two biggest landmarks were a large two-story house off to the side of the property, and a titanic four-story estate in the dead center and taking up at least half of the property.

"_Sacre Bleu!_" Jeremy shouted in his native tongue. "This place is bigger than the Presidential Palace and the Palace of Justice put together!"

"No joke!" Aelita gasped, greatly surprised by the size and majesty of the estate.

"It's even bigger than I remember it," Ash noted.

"And it's just as painful for me to remember," James moaned.

"I don't know about this anymore, Jeremy," Aelita said, seeing James' pained expression. "Isn't it like we're trespassing here if we're not invited?"

"Not if I have this," Jeremy said, taking out a sheet of paper from his backpack's front pocket.

"What is it?" James asked.

"It's a search warrant issued by the International Police," the teenager replied. "It gets all into the house with no questions asked. You can thank Agent Looker for securing that for us."

"So Mr. Looker issued that warrant!" Ash said. "How's he doing?"

"Just fine and dandy now that Team Galactic is gone," he replied. "I told him about your predicament James, on condition that you would not be pursued, and he actually agreed, seeing that there was someone who could be charged for putting you up to doing all that you did."

"Who is that?" James asked.

"The leader of Team Rocket, or any high-class agent," he replied. "As long as one of them says that they made you do what you did, then Looker has promised me that he will drop the charges against you."

James gasped, and then his eyes watered up. He then broke down and hugged Jeremy tightly.

"Thank you so much!" he bawled. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me!"

"What would really be nice," Jeremy groaned, "would be for you to let go of me because I can't breathe and you're breaking my back!"

"Oh, sorry," James chuckled sheepishly as he released Jeremy.

Suddenly, Growlie growled furiously and barked at the spire on top of the main estate.

"What's the matter, Growlie?" James asked, and then the unthinkable happened.

"Prepare for trouble, the matter is us!"

"And make it double, no muss, no fuss!"

"To protect the world form devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"Frank James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight!"

"Meowth, dat's right!"

Sure enough, Team Rocket stood at the top of the spire, gazing down on us with an evil smile.

"What do you three want!?" Jeremy barked.

"We want what you four want, of course," Frank James said coyly. "These poor Pokémon don't deserve to be cramped into a stuffy old mansion like this, they deserve to be free."

"Don't give me that pack of lies!" Ash growled. "You just want to steal them for yourself! That's the only reason people like Team Rocket would be here: to steal other people's Pokémon!"

"And you twerps ain't?" Meowth asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"What!?" Jeremy barked. "How dare you accuse us of stealing other people's Pokémon! Only you crooks would stoop so low! We're saving Pokémon that belong to James!"

"Do they really belong to him?" Frank James asked, "or do they belong to the estate?"

When he said that, no one could suddenly come up with a good reply.

"The answer is that they belong to the estate," Frank James continued. "By that logic, you four are, in fact, stealing Pokémon that belong to someone else, namely James' parents."

"But we haven't even done anything yet!" Ash protested. "And besides, they were stolen from James' grandparents to begin with!"

"Stealing by that logic is still stealing," Jessie scolded, wagging her finger.

"Don't you talk to me about stealing being wrong!" James shouted. "You're thieves yourselves!"

"And so are you!" Frank James said. "And do you know what happens to thieves?"

Before any of us could answer that question, an all-too familiar sound rang in the four kid's ears.

"It's police sirens!" Aelita cried.

"It must be Officer Jenny!" Ash shouted.

We all looked behind us, since the noise came from that direction. Sure enough, we could see a swarm of police cars, led by a motorcycle-riding Officer Jenny, making their way to the estate.

"Oh no!" James cried, curling into a ball on the ground. "If I get caught, I'll be sent to jail for the rest of my life!"

"Well, I got good news for you, James," Frank said, grinning evilly. "You won't be alone!"

Just then, he pushed Jessie and Meowth off of the building, much to our surprise. They landed in a nearby rose bush, but Frank James flew down on his Honchkrow, landing right in front of the door to the mansion. Upon landing, it opened up to reveal two people standing in the doorway. Jeremy, Aelita, and Ash noticed that the mere sight of them made James quiver in sheer fright.

The first person was a tall man, dressed in very fine clothes, with dark green eyes, a full head of dark lavender hair, and a thick lavender mustache. The other person was a slender woman in a fine red satin dress, with crimson red eyes and dark purple-red hair tied in a bun. The air around them seemed to convey a feeling of richness and power, and their faces were those of people who wore a mask of kindness to hide a face of malice and apathy.

"Hey, Ash?" Jeremy asked, "are those people…?"

"Yeah," he nodded, slightly scared as well. "They're James' parents."

"Thieves go to jail for the rest of their pathetic lives," James' father said with a thick Southern American accent.

"Which leave the rest of us law-abiding citizens with lest to worry about," James' mother said with the same accent.

"What was that for!?" Jessie howled once she and Meowth got up.

Just then, we noticed that Frank James was not wearing his Team Rocket uniform. Instead, he wore a fancy business suit and had a gold badge on the lapel of his black dress jacket.

"I'm doing my job as a detective for the International Police," he replied. "I'm taking thieves to jail for the rest of their lives."

"You're a cop!?" Meowth gasped.

"A member of Team Rocket is many things," he said. "This happens to be one of them."

"But does anyone not know that you're part of Team Rocket?" Jessie asked.

"Of course no one knows," he shook his head. "It's all part of secrecy. Speaking of which, it's time for me to become secret as well."

Before anyone could say anything else, the police swarmed onto the scene and completely surrounded us. A noise came from over our head, and we saw a trio of police helicopters fly in from above, along with officers riding on flying Pokémon, such as Fearow and Pidgeot.

"Attention!" Officer Jenny shouted from a loud speaker. "You're all under arrest on the charges of trespassing and Pokémon poaching! Do not try to escape, we have you all surrounded!"

"This can't be happening!" Ash cried.

"We've done nothing wrong!" Aelita said.

"It's the end of my life forever!" James wailed.

But Jeremy, bravely stepping forward, threw off his backpack and brought out his wallet. He then opened it, showing off his International Police Badge.

"My name is Jeremiah Marquis Belpois!" Jeremy declared. "I am an Honorary Deputy Sheriff and recognized Ace Detective of the International Police, and I am ordering you, by the authority of the International Police, to stand down!"

For a long time, no one said anything, but then the Officer Jenny and a man form the head car stepped in front of us. They took one look at Ash and they both gasped.

"It's Ash and Agent Belpois!" the man said.

"What are you kids doing here?" Officer Jenny asked.

Ash, who was cowering slightly, looked up to see who had spoken, and he gasped when he saw who it was.

"Mr. Looker!" Ash said, recognizing the agent of the International Police. "And which Jenny are you?"

"I'm the Jenny from Viridian City," she replied. "I just got reassigned back to Kanto, but what are you all doing here?"

"I'll tell you what's been happening, officer!" Frank James said, motioning to the befuddled travelers. "These terrible children came to steal our precious Pokémon!"

"Hold on," Jenny said. "I know Ash Ketchum very well, and he's not a thief."

"And neither is Agent Jeremy Belpois," Looker added. "And that girl is his girlfriend and partner in crime prevention! They've both saved the world many times over!"

"But those three are real crooks!" James' mother said, pointing to the Team Rocket trio. "They even had the nerve to steal our precious Growlithe when we sent it to the Sinnoh region!"

"Don't lie to me!" Jeremy barked. "That Pokémon belongs to James Morgan, and no one else! And you call it precious? Last time I checked, you hated it and wanted it gone!"

"We would never want such a thing!" James' dad barked back. "How do we know you're not in cahoots with that terrible trio?"

"Terrible trio?" Officer Jenny asked, turning to the mentioned trio and gasping. "At last!"

Before Jeremy, Aelita, or Ash could make any objection, Officer Jenny had all three of them bound in handcuffs and on their feet. She then took their Poké Balls away from them, and had a Policeman take Growlie away from James.

"No, Growlie!" James cried, tears flowing from his eyes. "Don't leave me! Let him go! He's mine, I tell you! He's really mine!"

"You three are under arrest!" she shouted. "I've been waiting years for this moment!"

"Let them go!" Jeremy shouted. "This is a huge misunderstanding!"

"There's a warrant for Team Rocket's arrest in every city in the Kanto region!" Jenny said.

"But James quit Team Rocket!" Jeremy protested. "He's not a criminal!"

"He helped us in our adventures in Sinnoh!" Ash said.

"He helped capture Pokémon Hunter J!" Aelita added.

"I did see that transpire myself, Officer," Looker noted.

"I came here with a search warrant that Agent Looker authorized," Jeremy said, holding up said warrant. "It gives us the right to search this place for any stolen Pokémon."

"Well, just look at the Trainer ID of that Growlithe!" Frank James said, and handed Officer Jenny a piece of paper with a picture of Growlie on it.

"It says that it's registered to…" she began, and then looked at the bottom of the page: "Christopher Morgan."

"That's me," James' father said. "This proves that that Pokémon belongs to me!"

"I'm the family's lawyer, Frankford Jameson," Frank James said, smiling smugly at James. "I can tell you that all the information on this paper is 100% true."

"What!?" Jeremy gasped. "Isn't James Morgan anywhere on that paper?"

"Not that I can see," Jenny shook her head.

"See?" James' mother said. "Our son has become a low-down thief! Take him away, officer!"

"You can't!" Aelita said. "He's not a thief anymore! He's a good guy!"

Officer Jenny shook her head. "I'm sorry, agents, but I must do my job." She then grabbed Jessie, James, and Meowth by their cuffed arms and ushered them to the police van parked outside of the estate. James looked at Jeremy and the others with a pained expression, and they also wore that same look when they tried to look at him.

"Hang on, James!" Jeremy called. "I'll get it all sorted out! I promise!"

James was barely able to her those words before he and his former partners were shoved into the cell on the back of the van, and Officer Jenny shut the door behind them. Ash and Jeremy could not move for a while, but then dropped to the ground on their knees. Jeremy looked stunned for a minute, but then pounded the ground with his balled-up fists.

"Damn it," he growled, and then screamed, "Damn it!" He then turned to Frank James in a fury. "How could you did this to your partner?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Frank James smiled innocently. "I've lived here for years under the service of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan."

"We have proof and can produce it if you want," James' father smiled.

Jeremy said nothing, but growled under his breath, knowing that James' parents, as well as Frank James, had the power to influence the powers in charge and no one would be the wiser. Jeremy and Ash would look like a bunch of babbling idiots trying to convince people that Frank James was part of Tem Rocket, and what could they possibly convict the Morgan adults of, since they were in a similar situation?

"Jeremy?" Ash asked. "What are we going to do about James?"

Jeremy turned to Ash, and could not answer him for a long time. If they pressed the charges he thought about against James' parents, they'd be countered with the fact that James was in Team Rocket. Even if they could find and press charges against Jessiebelle for hurting James, she'd have tons of lawyers able and willing to clear her of all charges. Ash, Jeremy, and Aelita were really up against a wall.

"First we head back to Saffron City," Jeremy said. "We'll figure things out from there. Officer Jenny, Agent Looker, I'd like you two to accompany us. There's something I need to tell you."

"Don't worry about James," Looker said. "I'll put in a word to the warden and they'll treat him and the rest okay. I'll also send you their Pokémon."

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Looker," Ash said. "Are you okay with this, Officer Jenny?"

"Well, if Looker and Belpois say that it's okay," she replied, "then so am I."

With that said, Jenny gave a motion for the police van to take the former Team Rocket operatives away. The helicopters went away, and so did the other cars and motorcycles. Ash and Jeremy took a glare at James' parents, who smiled evilly and retreated to the asylum of their estate. All three gave a hiss, but then turned to the road ahead.

"You ride with Jenny and Looker, Ash," Jeremy said. "Judah, Aelita and I will fly back."

Ash nodded, and Jeremy took out Draco's Poké Ball.

"Draco, come on out!" he cried, and the Dragon Pokémon appeared on the ground next to them.

"James is in trouble," Jeremy said, "and I need you to fly us back to Saffron City. It's just up east from here."

Draco nodded, and Jeremy, Aelita, and Judah got on its strong back. It then soared into the sky and flew off back to Saffron City, with Officer Jenny, Looker, and Ash riding on the ground behind them. Lots of things were swirling around in all of their minds, but for James' sake, as well as the sake of his friends, Jeremy, Aelita, and Ash were determined to save them all no matter what it took.

But as it was clearly shown for them all today, this would be easier said than done.

* * *

**A/N: I said this would be a sad chapter, didn't I? Please, before you James fans and fan-girls say anything, they do escape from this horrible fate. How they do so, however, you'll have to see for yourself! Please review and stay tuned for more! **

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	3. A Notice

**A/N: THIS NOTICE IS BEING POSTED ON TWO OF MY STORIES AT ONCE: "THE AGENT AND THE FUGITIVE" AND "THE CASE OF JAMES MORGAN".**

I have posted the first chapter of the pivotal entry in my Pokemon series, "The Case of James Morgan", and I have received a comment from an anonymous (and jerky) person that said that I should finish my other one first.

So, in case there is any confusion, here is the chapter list for "Pokemon: The Agent and the Fugitive", and the episodes they are based on.

Pokemon Platinum: The Agent and the Fugitive - Chapter List and Episode Base

Chapter I: Jeremy - A New Journey Begins  
Chapter II: James - A Letter and a Choice  
Chapter III: Jeremy – New Partners and New Rivals  
Chapter IV: James – Running From My Past, Running To My Future  
Chapter V: Jeremy – Reunion and Resolution  
Chapter VI: James – The Day of My Atonement (DP055)  
Chapter VII: Jeremy – Interlude Letter  
Chapter VIII: Jeremy – A Battle to Remember  
Chapter IX: James – A Triple Style Clash  
Chapter X: James – Prophecy For a Runaway (DP060)  
Chapter XI: Jeremy – Another Interlude Letter (DP056-DP066)  
Chapter XII: Jeremy – A Leader in Need Requires a Challenge Indeed (DP066)  
Chapter XIII: James – Flaming Fists of Fury (DP067, DP068)  
Chapter XIV: James – A Galactic Epoch (DP069)  
Chapter XV: James – Crossing Old and New Paths (DP070, DP073)  
Chapter XVI: James – History Repeats Itself (DP074)  
Chapter XVII: Jeremy – The Welcome of a Champion (DP075)  
Chapter XVIII: Jeremy – The Gang's All Here (DP076)  
Chapter XIX: James – The Wallace Cup (DP077-079)  
Chapter XX: Jeremy – Pokemon Ranger: The Aura-Guiding Riolu (DP071, DP072)  
Chapter XXI: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 1 (DP080-082)  
Chapter XXII: Aelita – Fourth and Goal (DP083)  
Chapter XXIII: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 2 (DP084-87)  
Chapter XXIV: Aelita – Our Pokemon Summer Academy Adventures (DP088-91)  
Chapter XXV: Aelita – The Dancing Gym Leader (DP093)  
Chapter XXVI: Aelita – Calling Dr. Brock (DP094)  
Chapter XXVII: Aelita – Battling the Generation Gap (DP095)  
Chapter XXVIII: Jeremy – Team Galactic Strikes Back (DP096, DP097)  
Chapter XXIX: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 3 (DP098, DP099)  
Chapter XXX: James – A High-Grass Plan (DP100)  
Chapter XXXI: Jeremy – Meet Barry (DP101)  
Chapter XXXII: James – The Fifth Counter (DP102)  
Chapter XXXIII: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 4 (DP103-106)  
Chapter XXXIV: Jeremy – The Power of Steel and Stone (DP107, DP108)  
Chapter XXXV: James – The Ruin-nation of Team Galactic (DP110, DP111)  
Chapter XXXVI: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 5 (DP112-117)  
Chapter XXXVII: Jeremy – Poké-Ring Around the Rosie (DP118)  
Chapter XXXVIII: James – A Lesson in Obedience (DP119)  
Chapter XXXIX: Aelita –Sinnoh Journal Entry 6 (DP121-125)  
Chapter XXXX: Jeremy – Snowpoint Bound (DP126, DP127)  
Chapter XXXXI: Jeremy – The Pyramid King and the Prince of Pride (DP128)  
Chapter XXXXII: James – The Hunter Becomes the Hunted (DP129)  
Chapter XXXXIII: Jeremy – He's Quite the Looker (DP130)  
Chapter XXXXIV: James – Clash of the Rivals (DP131, DP132)  
Chapter XXXXV: James – The Wisdom to Recover (DP133)  
Chapter XXXXVI: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 7 (DP134, DP135)  
Chapter XXXXVII: Jeremy – The Gate to Infinity (DP136)  
Chapter XXXXVIII: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 8 (DP137-149)  
Chapter XLIX: James – A Recap Before the Epic Event  
Chapter L: Jeremy – The Battle of All Time and Space (DP150-152)  
Chapter LI: James – A Hidden Treasure Is Lost Forever (DP153)  
Chapter LII: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 8 (DP154-164)  
Chapter LIII: James – A Beacon of Battling Spirit (DP165, DP166)  
Chapter LIV: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 9 (DP167, DP168)  
Chapter LV: Jeremy – Pokémon Ranger: Heatran Rescue! (DP169)  
Chapter LVI: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 10 (DP170-173)  
Chapter LVII: Jeremy – A Festival for the Ages (DP174-177)  
Chapter LVIII: James – The Final Gym Battle (DP179)  
Chapter LIX: Aelita – Sinnoh Journal Entry 11 (DP180, DP181)  
Chapter LX: Jeremy – Bringing the Home Team Together (DP182)  
Chapter LXI: James – Let the League Begin (DP183-185)  
Chapter LXII: James – The Bonds That Define a Pokémon Trainer (DP186-188)  
Chapter LXIII: Jeremy – A Legendary Battle (DP189)  
Chapter LXIV: James – The Brock-tor is In (DP190)  
Chapter LXV: Ash – The End and The Beginning (DP191)

**The most recent chapter that I posted is Chapter XIII.**

**THIS STORY WAS MEANT TO COVER THE ENTIRE DP SERIES PAST SEASON 11. I HAVEN'T EVEN MADE IT HALFWAY THROUGH. THIS IS BECAUSE NOT EVERY EPISODE WAS NOT TO BE OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE TO MY MAIN STORY.**

**Also, my school life will keep becoming more demanding, so to save time and frustration on my part of not writing as much of the main story as I can, I decided to write the main arc before writing the filler. Besides, the great writers of history have done the same.**

**- C.S. Lewis wrote the Narnia prequels after the first four books.**

**- J.R.R. Tolkein wrote the Silmarillion after the main trilogy and The Hobbit.**

**- Pokemon Chronicles and the Pokemon Sunday episodes were written well after the episodes they revolved around.**

**I hope this clears some crap up, and I hope you'll understand what I'm going through to keep my series afloat in my mind.**

**I will write more of both stories, and (if all goes well) I will possibly finish both stories at the same time!**

**Also, as a special treat, I will reveal a secret about my DP re-write:**

**I WILL DEFY THE WRITER'S BUSTED LOGIC FOR ASH, BUT NOT ABOUT HIS AGE! (Because I already did)**

**Well, that's all for now! Off to do Chemistry homework!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	4. Chpt 2: A Plan of Investigation & Attack

**A/N: Okay, this may be it for this story until I write more of The Agent and the Fugitive. As I stated before, most of that story is merely a filler in order to connect that story to this. There are major stories, such as Team Galactic, which are important, but I'm over 100 episode behind, and I like this story more, AND I have more work to do with school. My first Calculus test is this Tuesday, and I'm studying out the wazoo for it.**

**So please be patient while I try to finish school (which is important but not fun) and my stories (which are less important but are fun).**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK  
**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**If I owned this series, Ash would actually win the Leagues and Team Rocket would be good guys. Sadly, I don't, so there. Please support the official release.**

* * *

Chapter 2: A Plan of Investigation and Attack

Jeremy hastily paced the floor of the Saffron City Pokémon Center, his face a mix of worry and fury. He was worried about Jessie, James, and Meowth, who now had their worst fears come to life with them behind cold, hard, steel bars. His fury was directed at James' parents for further hurting their son by their actions, and at Frank James for turning in his partners as if they meant nothing to him at all. Even with his status as an International Police Officer, he could not have prevented the poor trio from losing their freedom, potentially forever, if the verdict came in.

Ash, Agent Looker, and the Viridian City Officer Jenny were watching him nervously as he grabbed his head, wracking his brain for a solution to this catastrophe. Judah, Jeremy's Pokémon partner, looked just as perturbed as his master as he watched him walking around in circles. For Aelita, his girlfriend, however, it tore her heart apart to see him look so frustrated and helpless.

"Darn it," he said to himself. "No matter how I look at it, I just don't know what to do about it."

"Just calm down, Jeremy," Looker said. "No amount of anger will help your situation."

"You've saved the world countless times from evil forces in the past," Aelita said. "I'm sure that you can do something like this."

"But it's not like can Jeremy win this easy, Aelita," Ash pointed out. "Like it or not, those guys are Team Rocket, and they're all a bunch of dirty criminals."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jeremy grabbed Ash by the collar and lifted him out of the chair, holding him half a foot above the ground.

"He's not a criminal!" Jeremy yelled angrily. "He may have been in Team Rocket, but he's not an irredeemably evil person! How many Team Rocket agents do you know that you helped and have helped you? Name them! Did all of that time traveling with him in Sinnoh mean nothing to you?!"

"Jeremy, calm down!" Judah said.

"Violence won't solve anything!" Officer Jenny added.

But as Ash's expression did not change, apart from his fear at Jeremy's actions, Jeremy drew back his arm, ready to punch Ash. Pikachu began to crackle with lightning, ready to defend his master and friend, even if he had to attack Jeremy. Judah grabbed Jeremy's legs, trying hard to restrain him.

"If you give into your anger now," Looker said, "then you're no better than Team Rocket."

Jeremy stopped at Looker's words, and dropped Ash back onto the chair, letting him go. Pikachu also stopped its electric buildup and relaxed as well. Judah also let go of Jeremy's legs.

"You're right," he sighed. "I'm sorry, Ash."

"It's all right," he said, brushing himself off. "I understand why you did what you did."

Jeremy stiffened himself, and then broke his circle. "I'm going for a walk outside," he said. "I need to clear my head."

"I'm coming with you," Judah said, walking next to him. "You need someone to look after you."

"Hey, that's my job!" Aelita protested, joining the two.

Jeremy looked at them both, and smiled. "Okay, you two. Have it your way."

"Don't go too far!" Looker said. "We need to stick together to form a plan of what to do next!"

Jeremy nodded, and the left the Pokémon Center after retrieving their healed Pokémon from Nurse Joy. However, as soon as the door to the Pokémon Center opened, Jeremy saw, for a split second, someone standing in front of him. In the next instant, he found himself colliding with the forehead of a person before both people fell to the ground. Aelita and Judah backed up to give them room to get back up, which they did not do until after they moaned in pain and rubbed their bruised foreheads.

"Ow," the other person said, a clearly female voice to Jeremy.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," he said, getting up first. "I had no idea you were there, and I…"

His sentence broke off when he opened his eyes as he stood up and noticed the person he held his hand out to. This was a girl, but significantly older than Jeremy. Her long jaded green hair was brushed back out of her face, which showed off glazed-looking violet-blue eyes and a fair face. She had on a bold red jumper, but with seemingly no skirt underneath, and high-top, high-heeled black boots. Jeremy took one look at her and felt like she had just entered his mind in a way he never felt anyone do, not even Aelita.

"Do you, uh," Jeremy said, stammering, "need some help?" He stretched out his hand again.

"Yes, thanks," she nodded, taking his hand and using it to regain her footing.

"Do I, uh, know you?" Jeremy asked.

"You've not met me yet," the girl replied, "but I've heard of you. My father told me about you. Jeremy Belpois, right?"

"Uh, yes," Jeremy nodded, and then realized something. "Wait, your father told you that?"

"Yes, he was the man you met when you and your friends first came into town earlier today," she said.

"How did you know that?" Jeremy asked.

"He told me," she replied, "and I can read your mind."

"Read his mind?" Aelita gasped. "How did you do that? And who are you?"

"My name is Sabrina," the girl said. "I'm a psychic, and I'm the Saffron City Gym Leader."

"A psychic Gym Leader," Jeremy said, and then snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, I remember Ash mentioning you!"

"Ash?" she gasped. "As in Ash Ketchum? Is he here?"

"Yeah, he's back over there," Jeremy said, pointing to the corner, where Ash, Looker, and Officer Jenny got up to see what the commotion at the front door was all about.

"Are you kids okay?" Jenny asked.

"We heard a smack and then a sound like people crashing to the floor," Looker said.

Just then, a shadow passed over Ash, and then a large purple Pokémon with red eyes and a large sinister smile appeared behind him and began pinching Ash's cheeks and stretching them out to cartoonish proportions. Ash slapped the hands away, and looked back to see who had pranked him.

"A Gengar?" he gasped. "Whose Gengar is this?"

But when the Gengar made a funny face, Ash started rubbing his chin in deep thought.

"I feel like I know this Gengar," he said to himself, but then turned to see Jeremy, Aelita, and his new friend, and gasped in surprise.

"Hey, I know you!" he said.

"It's been a long time, Ash Ketchum," Sabrina smiled.

"Sabrina!" Ash shouted, and walked briskly up to the psychic Kanto Gym Leader. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," she nodded, shaking his hand. "I haven't seen you since the Gym battle all those years ago. I saw your battle in the Indigo Plateau on TV, by the way. It's a real shame you only got into the top 16."

Ash frowned for a second. "Please don't remind me. It's all because Charizard was so lazy back then! Why'd he have to go and take a stupid nap in the middle of the battle!?"

"It took a nap in the middle of the battle?" Jeremy snickered, and Aelita stifled a chuckle. Ash shot them a glare, and they snapped out of their humorous moment.

"Well, it must listen to you now, right?" Sabrina asked.

"Well, yeah," Ash nodded. "But it's still hard to get over, even after all this time. Instead of sleeping, it's blasting me and my Pokémon with Flamethrower!"

"Well, that can't be good," she said. "Is that why I sense you've got a feeling of uneasiness?"

"Uh, no," Ash shook his head. "It's about a friend."

"Which friend?" she asked. "Is Brock or Misty in trouble?"

"Neither of them," he answered. "It's a guy named James."

"Never heard of him," Sabrina said, but then snapped his fingers. "Oh wait! I remember my dad mentioning another person traveling with you. Was that this James person?"

"Yeah," Ash said, dejected.

"Hold on," Sabrina said, holding her hand up. "Allow me."

"To do what?" he asked.

"Just hold still," she said, and placed her hands on Ash's temples. "You won't feel a thing."

She closed her eyes, and Ash's eyes looked like they rolled into the back of his head. Instantly, images of Ash's travels across the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions flashed through Ash's mind. From when he first received Pikachu to when he was declared the winner of the Lily of the Valley Conference, the memories were so vivid that it was like he was living them all over again. After a while, they focused around the first time that he met Team Rocket in Viridian City, and then when they first went to James' estate, met Growlie, and learned about James' past. The next several scenes all involved Team Rocket in one way or another. Sometimes they were shown as towering villains who cast a shadow of evil on Ash and his friends, but other times they were shown as scared little children with nowhere to go but to the evil criminal syndicate.

The next images solely focused on the lavender-haired man, James. Ash saw when he joined his gang midway through his Sinnoh journey, and left his friends for fear of never seeing them again should he return with nothing to show for his efforts. He saw their first true battle, when James was fighting Team Galactic side by side with Jeremy and Ash, when he was captured by the evil and ruthless Pokémon Hunter J and about to be sold back to Team Rocket, and when he cheered him on in the Lily of the Valley conference. Finally, the vision that lasted the longest was when he saw James being arrested, along with his old friends Jessie and Meowth, and being shoved into the back of a Police car. The look on his face was one of someone who had lost almost all hope of ever being free again.

As the visions left him, Ash stumbled around for a bit, and noticed that Sabrina was on the ground, panting heavily.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worried.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she nodded, standing back up again. "I just didn't expect those particular memories to be so… powerful."

Instantly, Sabrina's other Poké Ball opened up, and a large gold Pokémon became alerted to its master's condition. When Jeremy saw it, he gasped.

"You have an Alakazam?" he asked.

"It used to be a Kadabra when I fought it," Ash noted. "So both your Pokémon evolved?"

"That's right," she nodded. "Haunter and Kadabra are now Alakazam and Gengar!"

Both the Psi Pokémon and the Shadow Pokémon smiled as they noticed Ash. Jeremy took a look at Gengar, and took out his Pokédex.

"_Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon,_" the machine read. "_Gengar is the evolved form of Haunter. Gengar hides in the shadows. If a Gengar is nearby, it is said to feel 5 degrees Celsius colder than normal._"

"Wow," Jeremy said, "I've got an Alakazam, too! Would it be okay if I showed him to you?"

"That sounds nice," she nodded.

Jeremy then took out Marvin's Poké Ball. "Marvin, it's time for an introduction!" Jeremy's Alakazam, Marvin, came out of its Poké Ball, and greeted Sabrina's Alakazam with a handshake. While the two Pokémon telepathically conversed, Aelita asked Sabrina a question.

"So what was that you were saying about powerful memories?" Aelita asked.

"I was sorting through your memories, Ash," the psychic replied, "and one memory kept connecting with another which resonated with another, and so on until I saw where your friend James and his friends got arrested. I also saw his poor Pokémon being taken away into custody."

"Yeah," Ash sighed sadly. "I still can't believe that they actually got arrested. Sure, they're a part of Team Rocket, but there were people in there that were way worse than they could ever hope to be, and that's saying something because they can be really nasty when they want to be!"

"And you want to represent James as his defense lawyer, Jeremy?" Sabrina asked.

"That's right," he said, not bothering to ask how she knew since he knew she read his mind. "But next time, please ask before you read someone's mind, please?"

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "Is it okay now?"

"Okay," Jeremy grinned, chuckling. "I welcome you to share my plan with the rest of the class."

Sabrina nodded. "Jeremy wants to represent the former Team Rocket trio in court, but knows that there will be evidence convicting them of their crimes in Team Rocket. He's currently trying to think of a plan that will prove that they are innocent, but given that they have stolen things in the past, he doesn't know how to approach this."

"Well, what are the charges that warranted their arrest?" Aelita asked Officer Jenny.

"They're wanted in all cities in the Kanto and Johto regions for charges of Pokémon poaching and a few minor theft charges," the officer replied, "but mostly for being ion an organization that promotes and commits Pokémon poaching."

"Well, the theft can be easily overlooked," Judah said, "but I think that if we can prove that they've never poached a Pokémon, and that the minor theft charges were not their work, then they'll possibly be able to go free!"

"Well, that's as good a start as any," Jeremy said.

"And who's the one with all the records on Team Rocket?" Judah asked. "None other than Team Rocket themselves!"

"An excellent deduction, Judah." Looker said." You'd make a great Pokémon detective."

"Thanks for the compliment," Judah grinned, blushing slightly.

"There's just one problem with that, though," Ash said.

"What's that?" Judah asked.

"We don't know where Team Rocket is headquartered," he replied. "And to top it all off, they're not just going to just hand over their records without a fight. It's not like we can just ask, 'Hey, can we have the records of Jessie, James, and Meowth?' and they hand it over."

Jeremy frowned and furrowed his brow. "You've got a point, there."

Sabrina frowned. "A plan for that should be quite simple."

"How do you figure?" Looker asked.

"It's quite simple," the Gym Leader replied. "We go down to where Jessie, James, and Meowth are being held and ask them where Team Rocket's headquarters is. It'll be like you'd be doing an interrogation, and no one who would be watching you will be the wiser. As for the actual attack, I assume that at least one of you knows how to operate a strike team?"

"I've done several strike missions before," Looker said.

"And I'm an excellent strategist," Jeremy added. "I've been singlehandedly been responsible for the downfall of one of the greatest and most feared spy rings ever to threaten our country, and was responsible for the destruction of a malevolent artificial intelligence to boot."

"Well, I may not be as smart or quick-thinking as you guys," Ash said, "but it's my fault that James got into this mess. Besides, he's my friend now, and friends stick out for each other."

"Then it's settled," Sabrina said. "I want in on this action too. You never know when a psychic could prove useful in a strike team, especially on one that is mounting a raid on the most evil criminal syndicates to ever walk the earth."

"Agent Looker," Jeremy said, "will you grant us authorization to mount this assault if we include you and everyone else in this strike team?"

"I would have joined in anyways," Looker grinned. "This is almost like I'm reliving my youth again. By the authority vested in me, by the International Police, I grant you authorization to enact this strike on Team Rocket's headquarters. I'll notify International Police HQ shortly after the team you need is assembled and the plan is set."

"But first we need the location of their headquarters," Officer Jenny noted. "I know where they are."

"Could you also give us the Pokémon that you confiscated from them?" Jeremy asked. "They deserve better treatment than that, and not to mention that poor Growlithe shouldn't ever go back to that house."

"Why's that?" Officer Jenny asked.

"I don't know if this will help James' case," Jeremy replied, "but his parents locked it up inside its doghouse, which was more like a dog mansion, in order to keep James away from it."

"What's so bad about that?" she asked.

"I bet you twenty Poké Dollars that if we investigate there," Jeremy responded, "that you won't find a speck of food or a drop of water for that poor Pokémon."

"No food or water!?" Ash gasped.

"That's despicable!" Sabrina growled, and her Alakazam growled as well.

"But that is something else we could charge them with," Looker noted.

"Then it's settled," Jeremy said. "I have my plan ready."

"Then let's hear it," Ash said, and they all sat down to listen in.

"We'll split into two teams," Jeremy began. "The strike team will attack Team Rocket, and the search team will search the house using the unused search warrant you issued, Agent Looker."

"You issued a search warrant?" Officer Jenny looked surprised.

"There were Pokémon's lives on the line, and there are still," he said.

"Anyway," Jeremy continued, "Looker, Officer Jenny, and Aelita will be in the investigation squad and search the Morgan estate, including Growlie's 'doghouse' for any clues to solve this mystery. Meanwhile, Ash, Sabrina, and I will invade Team Rocket Headquarters, acquire a copy of the data on Jessie, James, and Meowth, and make our escape. They'll probably have security be pretty tight, especially around their records, so we'll have to be extra careful."

"What about their Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"Jessie's and James' Pokémon will be temporarily divided up between us to be paired with on this occasion," Jeremy answered. "The teams will be decided by the Pokémon themselves. Once the preparations are done, we will head from the prison center to our own destinations. The strike team will head to Team Rocket HQ, and the search team will head to the Morgan estate. If anything goes wrong, we will have at least one officer on each team to call for backup. Needless to say, for the sake of Jessie, James, Meowth, and all their Pokémon, failure is not an option." He then took out his cell phone and gave a ring. "All contacts ready?"

Officer Jenny readied her police walkie-talkie, Looker showed off his phone, Aelita prepped her phone, but Ash and Sabrina shook their heads.

"I don't have a phone," Ash said. "My mom never had the time or money to get one."

"And I never needed one," Sabrina said. "I was locked in the Gym for the past several years of my life, even though it was of my own accord."

"Then take these," Jeremy said, and gave a blue cell phone to Ash and a red one to Sabrina. "If anything goes wrong, just press pound three times. This will alert the rest of us and we can call for backup."

"Got it," Ash nodded, and Sabrina nodded as well.

"All right," Jeremy said, thrusting his hand out. "All ready?"

"I am!" Ash said, and placed his hand on top of Jeremy's. "I always wanted to take on Team Rocket head-on!"

"I'm in on this too!" Aelita said, and slapped her hand onto Ash's. "Wherever Jeremy goes, I go with him!"

"And that goes double for me!" Judah said, and jumped to slap their hand-stack. "I want to make those awful people pay for what they put James through: his parents and Team Rocket!"

"You've got a team," Officer Jenny said, doing the same. "I need to get back in the action."

"And I'm with you as well," Looker nodded, joining in the hand-stacking. "This sounds like the ride of a lifetime."

"Don't forget about me!" Sabrina said, and cast in her own hand. "I want to make something of my life now that I'm aware of myself!"

"Then let's do it!" Jeremy said, and they all thrust their hands into the air.

(-o-)

Officer Jenny led us in the police car to the high-security compound where the former Team Rocket trio was being detained. It was a bit painful for Jeremy, Aelita, and Ash, who had traveled with James for a long time and did not expect to really see him in jail. Ash was even more shocked since he had a feeling this was bound to happen one day, but now after all that they did together in Sinnoh, he didn't want it to happen. As Officer Jenny led them down the rows of cells, each one holding a criminal more slimy looking than the one before, Jeremy and Aelita frowned at the thought of Jessie, James, and Meowth being in a place like this. Ash also shuddered at the faces of all the lawless ruffians staring at him through the iron-barred doors.

"So this is what jail looks like," Ash stated. "It does not look like fun at all."

"It isn't," Jeremy said. "Are they really at the end of this hall, Officer Jenny?"

"After insistence by Agent Looker, I made sure of that," Jenny nodded, "since the inmates here are known to become rather… violent towards new inmates."

The three Trainers gulped. "When you say 'violent', you mean like rough fighting?"

"Yep," Looker nodded. "They beat you down until you can't stand, and then they beat you up again, all for sport."

The three Trainers, along with the Gym Leader, gulped again.

"But as long as the two of us are here," Looker said, "you kids should be just fine."

The Trainers breathed a sigh of relief, and Jenny signaled for them to keep up. She then reached a keypad on one of the walls, and typed a series of numbers into it. The buzzer above the door gave a loud beeping noise, and Officer Jenny opened the door for the other five people to enter the small room.

It was a very small room, which was used by the police for interrogations and for visiting the inmates. James was no longer wearing his new Sinnoh attire, but was dressed in a jet-black prisoner's uniform and was chained by his arms and feet to the table. Jessie and Meowth were also in a similar state of confinement, except that Meowth wore no prisoner's uniform, since he was a Pokémon. Surprisingly, Jessie's hair was not in its old heavily curved style, but was now significantly shorter, only going past her ears while the front was still in its old style.

"Whoa," Ash said, upon seeing the three. "I almost didn't recognize you, Jessie."

"Jessie's hair kept her from putting her uniform on properly," James said, "and it got in the way of getting processed, so the warden's Scizor cut it with its claws."

Ash couldn't move, but he looked like he was about to fall over laughing. Jeremy then looked at Jessie, and she looked furious.

"Oh, is that it?" Jessie snapped angrily. "Now that we've got what we deserved, you're here to rub it in our faces, aren't you? Well, _aren't you_!?" She began to yell and laugh at the same time, rather hysterically. "Go on, do it! We're the bad guys! Laugh to your twerp's heart's content! Go on and laugh at my hairlessness just like you did all those years ago when that damn Scyther cut my gorgeous hair!"

She then stopped laughing, and instead broke down in tears, pounding her chained fists on the table and slamming her head against the table. Eventually, James stopped her since he didn't want to see her hurt herself like this. After a while, Ash slapped himself after seeing her display of emotion and spoke up.

"I'm not here to laugh, Jessie," he said. "Jeremy, Aelita, Mr. Looker, and all of our Pokémon are here to help you three."

Jessie let out a short, unbelieving laugh. "Help us? That's a laugh. You couldn't save our case if your lives depended on it."

"Not dat we don't appreciate youse trying to help us out," Meowth said, "but let's all face facts here. We're criminals. We're in Team Rocket. Like it or not, we're going to jail fer a long time."

"Not if we can prove you didn't steal any Pokémon," Jeremy said. "I looked into it, and if we can prove that you didn't steal any Pokémon, then you'll be free to go and your slate is wiped clean!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," James said, "but the fact is that we _have_ stolen Pokémon."

"What!?" Jeremy gasped.

"It was part of our job!" James said. "We were the greatest agents Team Rocket had ever had before we ever met you, Ash, and Giovanni himself said so!"

"Well, how do we help you now?" Ash asked. "You've confessed to your crime! There's probably a bunch of security cameras in here that are recording conversation this right now!"

"What's the point of prolonging the inevitable?" James moaned. "Like it or not, we're finished."

Jeremy, Aelita, and Ash groaned, not believing what their ears had heard. Just then, Jeremy spoke up.

"Hold on," Jeremy said. "What if you didn't really steal them, but you thought you stole them?"

"That's really nice that you're trying your hardest to help us, Einstein," James said, using the nickname that Jeremy's friends back home gave him, "but you can't hide or run away from the truth, and the truth is that we're criminal who are getting what criminals deserve: a life in jail."

"Oh no, you don't!" Jeremy said. "I know you quite well, James, and you'd be the last one to give yourself up just like that. You're as tenacious as a Snubbull, and as fearless as a Taillow! You've got your whole life ahead of you, and you're just going to throw it away like that?"

"I threw my life away seven years ago when I first joined Team Rocket," James said.

"Same here," Jessie said, shrugging.

"And Me-owth," Meowth added.

As they said this, Jeremy leaned in so only they could hear him. "Listen to me, you three. I can get you out of this, and the Police are already working on it as we speak. But you need to work with me. We have a plan to help you, but we need to know where Team Rocket's HQ is in order for that all to work."

"Team Rocket HQ?" Jessie gasped.

"Why do you need to know that?" James asked.

"We plan to break into it and steal a copy of your records," Jeremy answered. "With those, we can prove whether or not you actually stole any Pokémon in your Team Rocket career. We're also going to search your house for any clues to your parents' mistreatment of you, James. If we can convince the court that they did in fact treat you like garbage all those years ago, then they will be arrested in your place and forced to forfeit all of their assets, including their vast fortune, and it will all go to you, since you're their next of kin."

"WHAT!?" the trio gasped.

"I'm absolutely serious," Jeremy said. "Agent Looker is waiting to go to your house with Officer Jenny and all of your Pokémon to help them. But we need your help to find Team Rocket's base. So, will you help us?"

For a long time, no one spoke, but then Meowth spoke up.

"It's in right between Saffron City an' Viridian City," Meowth said. "It's a big building on a mountain plateau wit' a large red R on it. Ya can't miss it, and before you ask dere's a reason why it is where it is."

"What is that?" Jeremy asked.

"Meowth, are you sure about this?" Jessie gasped, but James spoke up.

"Meowth and Jeremy are right," James said. "If we give up now, then my parents and Team Rocket really does win. Go on, buddy."

"Da boss of Team Rocket…" Meowth continued, "was once da Gym Leader o' Viridian City."

"THE LEADER OF TEAM ROCKET IS THE VIRIDIAN CITY GYM LEADER?!" The three Trainers and the Gym Leader gasped in unison, completely shocked to their cores. Officer Jenny and Looker, both of whom were outside the cell looking in, gasped as well.

"He used it to train a super-powerful Pokémon he kept locked up in his basement," Meowth said. "You've met it in the Johto region, Ash. Remember Purity Canyon?"

Ash rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, and then remembered. "Oh yeah! You're talking about Mewtwo!"

"What's Mewtwo?" Sabrina asked.

"It's a really strong Pokémon that Misty, Brock, and I met a long time ago," Ash replied. "We met it once before, but it made us forget since it forced our Pokémon to fight in a cruel battle. When we met it again, there was this guy who was trying to capture it with Team Rocket's help, and turn it into his personal servant."

"You helped him do that horrible thing?" Sabrina gasped.

"Not these guys," Ash said, mentioning to the trio, "I mean the full-sized criminal group. And that guy with the Persian was the dirtiest-looking one of them all."

"Dat's 'cause he's da leader o' Team Rocket," Meowth said bluntly.

"WHAAAT?!" Ash gasped, and the rest gasped along with him, along with Officer Jenny and Agent Looker, who now burst into the room.

"What did he look like?" Jenny demanded. "Answer me!"

The three jailed former members of Team Rocket were too stunned by the sudden intrusion to accurately answer the question, and everyone else was stunned by Jenny's actions as well.

"I said answer me!" Jenny said again, and slammed her fists on the table, grabbing Meowth by the scruff of his neck.

"Officer Jenny, calm down!" Looker said, grabbing her arm. "There was no cause for getting so confrontational! I understand that you've been looking for the leader of Team Rocket for quite some time, but please, for the sake of our mission, keep your emotions in check. If you can't, then I may have no choice but to reassign you off of this mission!"

As those words left his mouth, Jenny released Meowth and turned to leave the room.

"You're right, Agent Looker," she said. "I apologize."

"Well, don't apologize to me," he said, and then pointed to her assaulted. "Say it to him."

"Okay," she said, and turned to the Scratch Cat Pokémon. "Sorry for being so rough with you, Meowth."

"Eh, I'm a tough cat," he said, brushing himself off. "I'm used to it from da way dat da boss would get afta me when I didn't do somethin' right."

"Well, I think we'll leave you four to discuss these… private matters," Looker said, and he and Officer Jenny left the interrogation room, leaving Ash, Jeremy, Aelita, and Sabrina in the room with Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"So getting back to the subject at hand," Jeremy said, "what does he look like?"

"As we have said before, his name is Giovanni," James began. "He always wears an orange business suit and also has a thin head of dark brown hair, and is always seen with that Persian."

"A Persian?" Jeremy said, and consulted his Pokédex for more info.

"_Persian, the Classy Cat Pokémon,_" the machine read. "_Persian is the evolved form of Meowth. Its lithe body enables silent and swift movement. In spite of its docile appearance, it has a cruel and haughty nature._"

"Meowth can evolve into that?" Aelita gasped, looking at the display of the Pokémon, which looked like a Siamese cat with a large red jewel on its forehead and a sinister expression.

"Actually, I can't," Meowth shook his head. "Afta' I loined how ta talk, I gave up loining new moves and evolvin'. But I wouldn't evolve even if I could! Poisians are nuttin' but bad news!"

"Okay," Jeremy said, "with that out of the way, how tight is the security there at HQ?"

"They've got grunts everywhere," James said. "But each one is only armed with a low-level Pokémon, and usually a Poison-Type Pokémon or a Rattata, as per the code of enrollment."

"I guess that explains why you had an Arbok and a Weezing," Ash said.

James nodded. "Only the agents in black with white gloves have adequately strong Pokémon, like Cassidy and Butch. But don't think it will be easy, because they may be weak, but there's a lot of them and only four of you. Also, be on the lookout for the really tough agents. They have the strongest Pokémon I've ever seen."

"What kind of people are they?" Ash asked. "And what kind of Pokémon do they have?"

"That I don't really know," he shrugged. "We were never told much about the other agents, nor did they have any contact with us, even though we were once at the top of the Team Rocket ladder." Just then, a realization hit him. "But remember Domino?"

"Oh yeah," Ash said. "That's the Team Rocket girl from Purity Canyon, right?"

"That's right," James nodded. "She's Giovanni's second-in-command. I've no idea what Pokémon she has, but I can guarantee that they're tough. After all, she's his bodyguard."

"And don't leave out da boss, er, _Giovanni's_ Poisian," Meowth said. "Dat Pokédex says dat it can fight, and it's right to a 't'. Dat cat's got claws, and ya don't wanna mess wit 'em."

"Okay, we'll take your word for it, Meowth," Ash said, nodding. "So, do you know if they keep their agent's records in a physical or digital state?"

"I have no clue at all," Jessie said, shaking her head. "But if it's physical, it'll be easier to get."

"Not by my standards," Jeremy said. "It'll be way easier if it's all digital."

"Why's dat?" Meowth asked.

"Well, think about it," Aelita said. "If it's written on paper, it would take a long time to find your names in their records. But if it's digital, we can just click a link or type in your name and get it no problem."

"What about firewalls and tracking software?" James asked.

"You're talking to one of the greatest computer prodigies of this decade," Jeremy said, adjusting his glasses and giving a smirk as the light reflected off of the lenses. "I saved the world from an evil computer virus that had the power to destroy the world by hacking into several websites and computers across the world, so I'm pretty confident that I can hack a simple data collection tank or whatever Team Rocket is using."

"Well, you sound confident, I'll give you that," Jessie said, giving a smirk as well.

"Jeremy's a genius when it comes to computers," Aelita said, hugging Jeremy's arm and smiling. "He's the reason I'm standing here today. I'd still be trapped in that computer if it wasn't for his brilliant mind."

"Well, you don't need to give me that much praise," Jeremy said, blushing.

"Could we lose da romance in here?" Meowth said impatiently. "Get on wit da plan!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Impatient Pants," Jeremy said. "Anyway, once I take the data, then we'll make our escape."

"But it's four of you and hundreds of them!" Jessie pointed out.

"My math is a bit rusty since I dropped out of Pokémon Tech," James said, "but I know that the odds are not in your favor!"

"They have a point, Jeremy," Ash said. "I know Team Rocket has hordes of grunts, and even though they have relatively weak Pokémon, there is strength in numbers."

Jeremy nodded, and rubbed his chin in thought.

"And there's James' house to think about," Aelita added. "It's positively massive! Even with two police officers and few Pokémon Trainers, it would take hours to look through everything there."

"Yes, you're right," Jeremy nodded.

For a long time, Jeremy didn't respond to anything that happened around him. Jessie, James, and Meowth looked worried that he couldn't think of a plan to search James' house and attack Team Rocket's headquarters. Judah, Ash, and Aelita looked worried as well, seeing that Jeremy looked worried, and it pained Aelita to see him mentally struggle like this. After what seemed like forever since someone spoke when it was only a few minutes, Jeremy spoke up.

"Hey Ash," he said, "how many people did you say that you traveled with in your journeys across the Pokémon regions?"

"Well, counting the Orange Islands" Ash said, counting on his fingers, "I'd have to say about seven at the least. Why do you ask?"

"Because you may have to call in favors," Jeremy said.

Ash looked puzzled for a moment, but then his face revealed that realization had sunk in. "Oh! You're asking me to ask them to help us!"

"Exactly!" Jeremy nodded excitedly.

"That's brilliant!" Aelita said. "James has recently helped a lot of people, and I'm sure that, if we put in a good word, that they'll hear us out!"

"You… really think so?" James asked, with tears in his eyes.

"James," Jeremy said, "I'm making you an army to free you and your friends from your prison in here," he said, and then pointed to his temple, " and in here."

"What about our minds?" Jessie asked.

"You may not tell it," Jeremy said, "but I can tell you're emotionally damaged by all of this. As if your performance earlier didn't tip me off, Jessie, you guys are an emotional wreck." Jeremy then jumped up out of his chair, with a confident smile on his face. "Well, I promise you that I will free you from your physical prison, and free you from your mental prison too."

For a long time, no one, not even Ash, could speak at Jeremy's speech. But then, Jessie rose from her chair and wrapped her lightly shackled arms around the young adventurer.

"This has got to be the most thoughtful, kind, and special thing anyone's ever done for me!" she cried. "You won't regret it, I promise!"

"I'm sure I won't," Jeremy said, returning the gesture, albeit more awkwardly due to its being rather forced upon him. "So, who do we call first, Ash?"

"Well, we could check and see if Brock hasn't left for the Pokémon Doctor Academy yet," he replied. "As for the rest, we could check with Norman from Petalburg City in Hoenn to see where May and Max are, and I bet Dawn's still in Twinleaf Town. As for Misty…"

"What about her?" Aelita asked.

"I don't know about her," he replied. "She's traveled with us for the most part, and she knows about some of team Rocket's back story, but hasn't really been with them for long enough to get to know them."

"Well, I'm sure she'll understand once we explain it to her," Sabrina said. "She's a good person, right Ash?"

"Of course," Ash nodded. "She may get angry easily and you guys have done a lot of bad things to us in the past, but she's not cruel enough to abandon anyone who's suffered as much as you guys have."

"Oh man, you twerps – er, kids, - are just great," Meowth said, about to cry.

"Once we get out of here, we're never gonna forget this!" James added.

"Save it for when we win," Jeremy snickered. "Just hang tight and you guys will be outta here in no time."

"Say, can you draw us a map to the headquarters?" Ash asked. "I think it would be a lot easier to locate it once we know where exactly it is."

"Any of youse got a Kanto region map?" Meowth asked. "It'll be a lot easia' if I just highlight da location on one of those."

"I got one," Ash said.

He looked into his backpack, pulled out a map, and handed it to Meowth. Jeremy took out a pencil from his backpack pencil case and handed it to Meowth as well. Upon receiving both items, the Scratch Cat Pokémon drew a small sketch of a building located in a mountainous area between Celadon City and Viridian City. When he was finished, he drew a large R on the face of the building and circled it, writing the letters HQ next to the drawing.

"Dis place won't be easy to get ta, dat's fer sure," Meowth said.

"And it only gets tougher from then on in," James added.

Ash and Jeremy looked at the map intently, both had their eyes fixed solely on the drawing of the base and realizing that this was the world headquarters of Team Rocket, and that the leader of Team Rocket would be waiting inside. The feeling was stronger felt by Ash, who had known about the criminal syndicate long before Jeremy or Aelita travelled with him, but it was quite different for them. Jeremy had known about Team Rocket from the beginning, thanks to one of his uncles who was a police officer in Kanto, but Aelita had never even known about Pokémon at all, much less the most ruthless Pokémon criminal organization in the world.

Suddenly, Jeremy stood up and snatched the map off the table. He then took a picture with his personally modified smartphone, and translated the HQ's location to its map program, and now it was showing up on the Kanto map.

"I got it right here," Jeremy said. "Now we have a physical and digital map to Team Rocket's secret headquarters!"

"We'll be back in no time," Aelita said. "Just keep calm and we'll be back for you guys!"

"And once we get the evidence," Ash said, "Jeremy will represent you in court as your defense lawyer and prove that you aren't 'the world's most wanted Pokémon criminals' anymore!"

"As for me," Sabrina said, "I aim to make these scum balls pay for the pain they have inflicted upon Pokémon across the world. I won't allow anyone, human or Pokémon, to be victimized by them any longer!"

"Hm?" James noticed Sabrina for the first time, but did not know who she was. "Hey, who are you?"

"Oh, I guess I forgot," Jeremy said, "James, this is Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City."

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you, I guess," James chuckled sheepishly.

"It's good to meet you as well," Sabrina said. "Don't worry, we'll get you and your friends out of there before you know it."

She took James' hand and was about to shake it, when suddenly both of them felt a feeling of intense pain strike their minds. Both James and Sabrina howled in pain, but then their vision and the world around them went completely black, soon to be replaced by a field of white. Both people experienced a vision, but it was different for each one.

Sabrina saw a vision of her infant self in a basket outside of her parents' house, crying loudly. But she wasn't crying for the sake of crying, like babies do, but she felt like she had lost a piece of her soul. Her parents then appeared at the door, but they looked like they didn't even know her when they saw her on their doorstep.

As for James, he saw the vision of the celestial girl he saw in the Solaceon Ruins. But this time, a red string that bound the twins together was sliced in two. The cause of this was that James' father had cut the scarlet thread with a dark, jagged-looking sword. He saw that his father's face conveyed a mix of contempt, apathy, and cold fury. As James turned away from his father's dark expression, he could see the girl had a change go over the girl. Her dark lavender hair turned jade green, and her striking red eyes became glazed over with a blue hue. In fact, if James didn't know any better, he'd say that she looked just like…

The vision ended abruptly, and both people were back in the prison cell. As James and Sabrina looked around, they could see Ash, Jeremy, and the others, including Officer Jenny and Looker, looking at them all with a look of great concern. James was still chained to the table, but he now noticed that his head had slammed against it some time ago. Sabrina also noticed that she was kneeling on the ground, and both of them were breathing heavily.

"Sabrina, are you ok?" Ash asked.

"When you and James made contact, you both stopped moving," Jessie explained.

"And youse weren't breathin' eitha'," Meowth added.

"I… I don't know what happened," James shrugged, gasping for air.

"It… that was… that was a psychic vision," Sabrina said, standing up. "But that was a powerful sensation unlike anything I've ever felt before."

"Wow, then it must have been strong," Ash said, whistling.

"What was it like?" Jeremy asked.

"I saw a baby on my parents doorstep," Sabrina replied. "It looked like me, and yet not like me."

"I saw something similar to what I saw in the Solaceon Ruins in Sinnoh," James said, "but the girl soon changed in appearance. My father was in it again, but I could see his face, and he looked much more menacing than I'd ever seen him look."

"What does it mean?" Aelita asked.

"I don't know," Sabrina said, shaking her head, and James shook his head too.

"Well, if you saw your father again, along with that girl," Judah said, "then it must have something to do with when you and your mysterious twin sister were separated at birth."

"Whaddya talkin' about?" Meowth asked, clearly confused.

"James discovered that he had a twin sister when we traveled Sinnoh," Judah explained, "but we have no clue who she may be."

"The only thing we know for sure," Aelita said, "is that his parents separated them shortly after they were born."

"Well, once we take care of the Team Rocket infiltration plan," Jeremy said, "we'll be back in no time to solve this mystery as well!"

The former Team Rocket trio nodded, and nodded as the four Trainers left the room. When they did, Ash and Jeremy cracked their knuckles.

"Well," Jeremy said, "time to build an army."

(-o-)

_- Location: Pewter City Pokémon Center, Kanto Region -_

Brock, the young Gym Leader and future Pokémon doctor, was calmly reading a book about becoming a Pokémon Doctor when Nurse Joy came up to him.

"Brock?" she asked. Instantly, he snapped to attention and turned to face her, a loving look in his eyes.

"What is your request, my dear sweet Nurse Joy?" he asked, taking her by the hand. His Croagunk popped out if its Poké Ball, ready to sting him into submission, but then Nurse Joy simply handed Brock a small telephone and slipped out of his grasp.

"You have a call coming in from Saffron City," she said. "It's from someone named Aelita."

"Aelita?" he gasped, and then bowed. "Thanks, Nurse Joy." As she went away, he answered the call. "It's been a while, Aelita. What do you need?"

_- Location: Cerulean City, Kanto Region –_

From the Cerulean City Gym, Misty emerged with a recently defeated challenger. Her sisters were still away on a cruise, so she was running the Gym.

"Don't let this get you down," she said. "Just try a bit harder next time, and you'll win for sure!"

The young Trainer nodded, petting his disheveled and disheartened Butterfree, and walking away to the Pokémon Center. Suddenly, they both caught sight of Nurse Joy coming towards the Gym.

"Misty?" Nurse Joy called out to the Gym Leader.

"Yeah?" Misty answered.

"You have a call from Saffron City," the nurse said, and directed them both to the Pokémon Center. "Why don't you both come in, and the Trainer can have his Pokémon healed while you take that call?"

Misty and the Trainer nodded, and they both followed Nurse Joy to the Pokémon Center.

_- Location: Petalburg City, Hoenn Region –_

At the small house outside of the Petalburg City Gym, Caroline noticed her husband and the Petalburg City Gym Leader, Norman, handing a new Trainer her fifth Gym Badge, the Balance Badge, which put her one step closer to entering the Hoenn Pokémon League. Just then, she noticed a call come in on their home phone line, and went to investigate.

"Now, you take good care of you Pokémon," Norman told the Trainer. "And watch out, because there are going to be a lot tougher opponents ahead of you than me."

"I will!" she nodded, and ran off towards Peatlburg Forest. "Thanks again, Norman!"

The Gym Leader sighed contentedly as he watched the young Trainer go her way, and then went back into the house to replenish his and his Pokémon's strength. When we walked in, he noticed his wife on the phone with a blond-haired boy, clearly in his early teens. Caroline noticed her husband walk in, and motioned to him.

"Norman, it's that Jeremy boy that May talked about when she got back from Sinnoh," she said. "He says that he needs to talk to May!"

"Hold on," Norman said, and went to his daughter's room. "May, your friend Jeremy wants to talk to you!"

The young Top Coordinator zoomed into the room and glanced at the video screen. "Hi, Jeremy! I just got back here after I won the Johto Grand Festival! So, what do you need?"

_- Location: Ringtown Ranger Base, Fiore Region -_

The Pokémon Ranger known as Solana was just returning to the Ringtown Ranger Base from a recent and tough mission, along with her trusty partner, Plusle. As soon as she arrived at the base, a fellow Pokémon Ranger with long green hair called out to her.

"Hey, Solana!" Spenser said to his partner Pokémon Ranger. "Professor Hastings wants to see you immediately! He says that it's urgent!"

Solana nodded, and entered the main conference room, where the aged professor and former Pokémon Rnager was waiting for her.

"You called for me, Professor Hastings?" the ranger girl asked.

"Solana!" Professor Hastings greeted the Pokémon Ranger. "You've been assigned to a mission in the Kanto region by request of an agent of the International Police!"

"Wow!" she gasped in awe. "Which agent assigned me, and what mission is it?"

"It's a search and infiltration mission," Hastings replied, "and it has been assigned by two agents: Sinnoh Agent Looker, and member of the French Division, Jeremy Belpois."

"Jeremy?" she gasped, remembering the boy who had helped her and Kellyn in the Riolu mission in Sinnoh. "What kind of mission is it again?"

"You will be part of a strike team," Hastings replied, "that will attack the global headquarters of Team Rocket." He then activated his wrist communicator. "Don't worry, you won't be alone." On the screen of his communicator, the images of two young men flickered into view.

_- Location: Vientown Ranger Base, Almia Region –_

"We'll be attacking Team Rocket's main headquarters to save James, his partner, and their Pokémon companion from a life in jail?" Kellyn asked through his communicator.

"That is correct," Professor Hastings nodded. "This mission is of top importance. The safety of Pokémon and humans are on the line. Failure is not an option!"

"Understood!" Kellyn said, and flew off on his Staraptor to the closest airport to get on a plane to Saffron City.

_- Location: Somewhere in the Oblivia Region -_

"Ben!" Hastings said through the com link. "Pokémon across the Kanto region are depending on you and the others! Show them what it means to be a Pokémon Ranger!"

"Yes, sir!" the young Ranger saluted, and flew off on his Pidgeot to the airport to catch the next flight to the Kanto region.

(-o-)

With the invitations sent, Jeremy, Aelita, Ash, and Sabrina merely had to wait for them all to arrive. As they took a short walk outside of the Saffron City Pokémon Center, waiting for the team to show up, Ash spoke up.

"Hey, Jeremy?," Ash asked, "when did Officer Jenny say the trial would take place?"

Jeremy stopped in his tracks, and looked at Ash, who also stopped. "Well, that's the problem."

"What is?" he asked, now becoming quite worried.

Jeremy took a deep breath, and then sighed heavily.

"What's wrong, Jeremy?" Sabrina asked.

Slowly, Jeremy turned back to them, a pained look in his eyes.

"The trial takes place at the Saffron City Courtroom…

…in two days."

* * *

**A/N: THIS NEW UPDATE (2/20/2014) HAS OVER 9,300 WORDS! THAT'S THE MOST I'VE EVER WRITTEN IN MY LIFE! And this is great practice for my future author career!  
**

**Also, the reason for this update is the inclusion of an important plot device. You'll see what it turns into in due time.**

**Please look for more, and don't judge this too bad JUST because the link story isn't finished yet.**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


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